To those of us who aren’t tuning in to Monday Night and constantly tracking the trials and tribulations of our fantasy team, it can seem like Travis Kelce became a true celebrity overnight. (Those obsessed with the NFL would likely beg to differ.) But the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has been plotting his rise to the top for years—and he’s had some help along the way.
Since he was in college at the University of Cincinnati, Kelce has been working with the twin brothers André and Aaron Eanes to make all his dreams come true, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. And so far, they’ve been pretty successful at that. The business managers (with some help from Taylor Swift) have turned Kelce into a household name, through years of work with the football player and a savvy understanding of the fame economy.
“We positioned Travis to be world famous,” André Eanes told the Times. “We didn’t know how it would happen, or when it would happen, or what would help push that further along. But it’s always been the thought in the back of our minds.”
Kelce first met André through their mutual friend, Kelce’s college roommate. At the time, André was running an event management business, and he’d hook Kelce up with VIP passes to events in Cincinnati. Aaron, meanwhile, was studying sport management and entrepreneurship at Ohio’s Bowling Green State University. He knew that he wanted to work with athletes, but he strove for more connection and synergy with players than the standard sports agent might have.
While still in school, the Eaneses launched A&A Management, and Kelce became just their second client. It’s a decision that’s paid dividends for the tight end. Throughout the years, Kelce and the Eaneses have worked to build up the athlete’s profile, resulting in a banner 2023 for him. Last year alone, Kelce won his second Super Bowl title, hosted Saturday Night Live (a longtime dream), starred in seven…